The Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate was standing with a microphone across the street from Orlando's ABC affiliate, where the three major candidates -- Republican Marco Rubio, independent Charlie Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek -- were sparring in a live debate.
Outside, Snitker answered the same questions as the Big Three -- only he had a volunteer watching the debate from home feed questions to him via cellphone.
``I will be at every debate,'' Snitker, 35, of Spring Hill, later declared, ``whether I'm invited or not.''
Even in this political moment that hails the ``citizen candidate'' over the ``career politician,'' Snitker, the office supply salesman-turned-Senatorial candidate, can't get much traction -- no matter how much noise he makes.
He crashed a media-sponsored candidate forum to which he had not been invited. His campaign volunteers flooded pollster Rasmussen Reports with e-mails and calls after his name was excluded from polls. He puts out news releases that lambaste his opponents and peddle his own conventional wisdom, such as ``Snitker is considered to be the most consistent Constitutional conservative in the race.''
And with a few exceptions, silence follows.
Snitker blames the usual suspects -- the mainstream media, the Republican/Democratic establishment, the pollsters -- for his relative anonymity.
But he also wants to know why the tea party crowd flocked to Rubio and not him. And why won't Glenn Beck's producers put him on a show, anyway? And why does Bubba the Love Sponge -- ``Bubba's a Libertarian!'' said Snitker -- never take his calls?
``I really thought those guys would welcome me with open arms, and they have shunned us,'' said Snitker. ``The one thing this campaign is going to show is if you're a regular guy, you can't get into this thing no matter what.''
SERVED IN MARINES
Snitker grew up in New Port Richey. His father is a retired machinist, and his mother works for the Pasco County Tax Collector's office. He graduated from Gulf High School in 1993, served in the U.S. Marines and later worked as a recruiter.
He married his high school sweetheart, Kelly, now a medical assistant at a dermatologist's office. They have a son, Michael, who turns 3 next month.
A few years ago he got a job in Orlando selling fax and copier machines to businesses. The Snitkers in 2007 bought a home outside Orlando, but had to short-sell last year after the bank began foreclosing. The couple had fallen behind on their $184,000 adjustable-rate mortgage. They now rent a home from relatives in Spring Hill.
``I blame myself more than anyone for that one,'' he said.
Politics? He never ran for anything before, not even student council in high school, but being a former Marine, he tried to pay attention. ``I've always been an observer,'' he said, ``but I would get frustrated because I never heard an answer to my questions.''
HIS PLATFORM
Snitker said his run got its beginnings a couple of years ago when he spent hours yelling at the television news.
``I was going back and forth on every issue, almost debating myself,'' he recalled recently. ``Little did I know I was building a platform at the same time. Because later on when I decided to run I just sat down and wrote out everything I could possibly write out.''
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